This Is Perfect for Me
by twistedPOTO
Summary: Penny reflects on how her life is going.  Set during "So They Say."


AN: Well, here you are! This is my first story, so please no flames! Constructive criticism would be way awesome though! Thanks for reading.  
>Disclaimer: I do not own, and have never claimed to own, Dr. Horrible, Penny, Captain Hammer, or a laundromat. Ever. The first three belong to the Whedons, and laundromats belong to whoever run them...?<p>

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><p>This Is Perfect for Me<p>

Life was perfect for Penny. She was finally in charge of a huge project for Caring Hands that was going somewhere, for a change. She had a boyfriend who had not only saved her life, but also directly helped her cause. She had plenty of new friends, and her old friends were even nicer to her now than ever before. So why was she so… not happy? Not unhappy, just not _happy_.

The washer pinged the end of its cycle, breaking her contemplative mood for a moment. Penny set her frozen yogurt down next to the unopened one beside her, got off the machine, and started to pull her clothes into the basket. While working, she tried to analyze what was throwing her off. With the volunteer work, it was always her dream to help in such a big way. Sure, there was a lot of pressure involved with handling such a big project as opening a new location, but Penny didn't see it as a problem. It was worth it to help out as much as she was.

She was walking over to the dryers on the wall while she thought of what else might be troubling her. Certainly her relationship could have an affect like this on her. It was difficult dating a superhero like Captain Hammer. They couldn't go longer than a few minutes on a walk without having a fan stop and ask for an autograph or picture. Penny didn't begrudge Hammer his status, though. He helped out people all the time, and fame was just part of the package. It was the way he acted that troubled her. He was always so sure of himself, and not in the self-confident way. He was cocky, and proud. Someday it would get him in trouble with that nemesis of his, Dr. Horrible. He knew that people loved him, and he used it to his advantage. He was self-serving.

Throwing her clean clothes into the dryer, Penny started to reprimand herself. He wasn't that bad. When they were alone, just the two of them, he would listen to her ideas of helping people. He laughed at her lame stories and jokes. Sometimes he seemed a little insincere, but Penny could look past that. She was good at ignoring the small parts of a person that were bad to see the really good parts inside. She looked past a lot of Hammer's bad stuff, though.

Penny looked over at the washing machine where the two frozen yogurts were still sitting. One was nearly finished, the other melted into a yogurt pool at the bottom of the cup with a small scoop of actually frozen stuff in the middle. She sighed, finishing off the clothes in the dryer and starting the cycle. Maybe it was the absence of her laundry buddy that was throwing her off.

It wasn't that they had been friends very long. She hadn't even talked to him until last week. She'd noticed him, sure, but they hadn't talked. They just connected. Billy was such a strange guy though. He was so shy, in an endearing sort of way. The way he blinked when he was nervous made her want to giggle. He was so sincere when he talked about things that were important to him. He also tried to make her happy. She could see through the "crazy random happenstance" so clearly, but he looked so excited about giving her that frozen yogurt that she couldn't tell him.

Penny was concerned about why he hadn't come in today. It was laundry day. Sure, she had skipped a few Saturdays before, but she still felt uneasy about his absence. She also figured that now, since they were friends, laundry day was their day. Maybe he was trying to tell her something, that maybe he didn't want to be friends anymore. He had seemed really upset when she left last time, with Captain Hammer.

Penny pulled herself on top of the machine where her frozen yogurt sat. Its melted companion looked so pathetic. It looked forgotten. Maybe Billy had a problem with Captain Hammer. He didn't seem too keen on the subject whenever she brought it up. But she didn't like to think that Billy could hate her boyfriend. Not that she liked her boyfriend that much. But he was pretty okay, and everyone else said the whole thing was just so perfect. Everyone but Billy.

The bell above the door tinkled as another person came into the Laundromat. Penny turned, hoping that Billy decided to make an appearance. It wasn't him. Being in a relationship with anyone is hard, especially with Captain Hammer, but being with someone is great. Having a safe port to come home to is great. Where else would she get that? Billy? Well… the idea wasn't too crazy.

Billy could be extremely sweet. He had so many strong opinions on things that mattered, and on things that didn't. He seemed to genuinely care for her. And Penny couldn't deny that she got butterflies in her stomach whenever she saw him. He had such beautiful blue eyes. She could get lost in his eyes. Penny could see herself being part of a "we" with him. But, she was with Captain Hammer. And he was… pretty okay. And Billy was such a great guy. She couldn't ruin a friendship with him by trying to pursue a romantic relationship when there wasn't one to be had. But Billy could always be a safe place, even after Hammer was gone from her life. A bay in a storm. A lighthouse. And Penny would never want to change that.

Life was perfect for Penny. She finally was helping in a huge way with a cause she truly believed in. She had a boyfriend who... she had a boyfriend. She had a wonderful friend to confide in and to help. A friend to count on through thick and thin. A buddy named Billy. After years of stormy sailing, she had finally found the bay.


End file.
